Marco Festa-Bianchet
Former
Graduate Students and their current activities
| Melanie
Pachkowski, M.Sc. 2012 Determinants of body condition in migratory caribou. Co-supervised with Steeve Côté, Université Laval. Here she is holding a caribou calf from the Rivière George herd. Melanie is now a park ranger in Alberta. Behind her is Joëlle Taillon, Ph.D. 2012, Université Laval (Habitat selection and demography of migratory caribou), co-supervised with Steeve Côté. Joëlle is now a Wildlife Biologist with the Québec government, looking after the management of migratory caribou. |
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Marie-France Barette,
Ph.D. 2012. Hormones and social behavior of meerkats. Co-supervised with Andrew Russel (U. of Sheffield). Check out her web site. |
Dominique
Marcil-Ferland, M.Sc. 2012. Effects of early development on fitness in bighorn sheep. Mid-June 2010 at Ram Mountain. Dominique now teaches at a Cegep in the Outaouais. |
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Ofelia
Gonzalez, M.Sc. 2011 Causes and consequences of litter size variation in Scandinavian brown bears. Ofelia is working as a biologist at the Insectarium in Montréal. The bear, like over 90% of adult bears in Scandinavia, either got shot that fall or will be shot at some point in the future. Despite the high harvest rate, the population has grown in both size and geographic range. The differences in behavior, life-history strategy and population dynamics of North American and European brown bears may indicate a strong effect of humans on their evolution. |
| Elise
Rioux-Paquette, M.Sc. 2010. Inbreeding, survival and physical development in bighorn sheep. In September 2010, Elise began a Ph.D. on male reproductive success of eastern grey kangaroos. The lamb (male N2) weighed 6 kg on May 28, 2008, at about one week of age. In September 2009 N2 had grown to 52 kg and by September 2010 he was about 66 kg. His mother is ewe F1, 8 years old in 2008. In 2009, F1 had a daughter (O11). In 2010, 2011 and 2012 F1 had sons (P18, Q4 and R7). All were alive in September 2012, when O11 also had a son (R10) . Clearly, F1 is a major player in the dynamics of the Ram Mountain population.
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Marco
Rughetti, Ph.D. 2011 Ecology and management of Alpine chamois. Marco is now a contract biologist in the Alps. Female # 25 was caught in the Ischiator Valley in Piedmont, Italian Alps, at 2300 m elevation. |
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| Julien
Martin, Ph.D. 2010. Female reproductive strategies in
ungulates. Julien completed a postdoc on the evolutionary
ecology of yellow-bellied marmots at UCLA and is about to take on a
Lectureship at the University of Aberdeen in the UK. Check out
his web page. Ewe Green P (i6) was 3 years old in 2006, when she gave birth but her lamb died neonatally. Over the next 6 years, she produced 5 sons and 1 daughter, but only 2 of her descendants were alive in September 2012. At age 9, she still has a few years before entering reproductive senescence. |
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| Aurélie
Bourbeau-Lemieux, 2010 M. Sc. Population ecology of bighorn sheep. Co-supervised with Fanie Pelletier, Université de Sherbrooke. Aurélie is now a wildlife biologists for the Cree Council of Québec. Female lamb #334 weighed 32 kg in late October 2007. She had her first lamb as a 2-year-old. |
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| Paulo Corti, 2008 Ph.D. Social organisation,
population dynamics and conservation of huemul deer in Chilean
Patagonia. Paulo is now a Professor at the University of
Valdivia, Chile. |
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Pam
Hengeveld, 2008 M.Sc.
Management of bighorn sheep in British Columbia. Pamela is now a
biological consultant in northern BC. |
Dallas
Plensky, 2007 M.Sc.
Selective effects of trophy hunting in 'California' bighorn sheep in
interior British Columbia. |
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| Jean-François Aublet,
2007 M.Sc. Ibex foraging and thermoregulatory behavior
Male ibex LBLGR was 10 years old and disappeared during winter 2006 at age 13. Jean-François survived that winter and several subsequent ones, he now works for Environment Canada, |
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Jean-Francois
Thérrien, 2006 M.Sc.,
co-supervised with Steeve Côté, Université Laval.
Effects of summer nutrition on maternal allocation of white-tailed deer in captivity. JF went on to do a Ph.D. on snowy owls at
Université Laval and is now a biologist with the Hawk
Mountain bird observatory in New Hampshire.
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Émilie
Largo,
2008 Ph.D., co-supervised with
Jean-Michel Gaillard, Université de Lyon. She worked on
the population dynamics of ibex in several national parks in France and
Italy. Émilie is now a project manager with an
epidemiological research company in Lyon, France. Dynamique comparée des populations de bouquetin des Alpes (Capra ibex) et implication pour le suivi de ces populations |
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| Patrick Bergeron, M.Sc. 2007. M.Sc. Stratégies
de croissance et determinants du rang hiérarchique chez le
bouquetin des Alpes (Capra ibex).
The inventor of the world-famous laser remote measuring device ("La
patente"), Patrick completed a Ph.D. on male reproductive success in
eastern chipmunks at the U. de Sherbrooke, he is now a postdoc at
Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, working on the evolutionary ecology
of amphibians and reptiles. |
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| Chiarastella
Feder. 2006. M.Sc. Effets de la date de naissance, des
caractéristiques maternelles et de l’environnement sur la
croissance, la masse et la survie du mouflon d’Amérique (Ovis canadensis). Chiara is now a biologist with Alberta Fish & Wildlife in Rocky Mountain House. |
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| Fanie Pelletier. 2005. Ph.D. Stratégies de reproduction des mâles du mouflon d’Amérique (Ovis canadensis). After a Postdoct at Imperial College, London, Fanie is now an Associate Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke. Male lamb 638 was caught on October 28, 2003. He was killed by a cougar a year later. |
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Achaz von Hardenberg,
2005 Ph.D. Sénescence, sélection sexuelle et dynamiqe de
population du bouquetin des Alpes (Capra ibex).
(Senescence, sexual selection and population dynamics of Alpine ibex).
Achaz is now a biologist with the Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy. 10-year-old male ibex "Zorro" was caught at 2800 m a.s.l. in July 2000. He died in August 2005, aged 15 years.
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Ghulam Ali Awan, 2004 Ph.D.
An analysis of critical factors influencing population persistence of Punjab urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) in the wild. Co-supervised with Dr. Tahira Ahmad, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and Dr. Richard Garstang, WWF-Pakistan. Awan is now a Wildlife Biologist for the Nunavut Government in Igloolik. |
Todd Powell. 2004 M.Sc. Réponse
comportementale des caribous des bois au harcèlement par les
motoneiges. (behavioral responses of woodland caribou to snowmobile
harassment). Todd is currently a wildlife biologist with the Yukon
government in
Whitehorse. |
| Yanick Gendreau. 2003 M.Sc. Effets des
caractéristiques maternelles sur la croissance et le
développement social post-sevrage chez la chèvre de
montagne (Oreamnos americanus). (Effects of maternal
characteristics on postweaning growth and social development in
mountain goats). Co-supervised with Steeve Côté,
Université Laval.
After working for several years as a wildlife biologist, Yanick is now a Ph.D. student at the Université du Québec in Rimouski, Québec Goat 249, a 2-year-old male, was captured June 9, 2001. He weighed 42.7 kg , and had gained another 20 kg by August 2. He disappeared in June 2003 at 4 years of age. |
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Mario Villemure, 2003 M.Sc. Écologie
et
conservation du loup dans la région du Parc National de La
Mauricie (Ecology and conservation of wolves in the region of La
Mauricie National Park). Mario is a Park Warden and Ecologist in
La
Mauricie National Park.
Wolf pup "Julie" was killed by a trapper in autumn 2000 |
Nancy Mckenzie.
2003 M.Sc.
Reproductive strategies of young bighorn ewes (Ovis canadensis).
Her description of the lamb: g1, female, G1 disappeared overwinter |
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Pierrick Blanchard. 2002 Ph. D. Survivre pour se
reproduire: rôle de la condition individuelle dans les tactiques
de reproduction chez le mouflon américain (Ovis canadensis)
(Individual condition and reproductive strategies in bighorn sheep).
Co-supervised with Jean-Michel Gaillard, CNRS - Lyon (France).
Pierrick is now a professor (Maître de conférence) at the Université de Toulouse in France. Ram 15w disappeared overwinter as a 9-year-old. |
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Tristan Welp. 2001. M.Sc. Les mesures de la peur chez
la vache laitière (Measuring fear in dairy cows). Co-supervised
with A.M. de Passillé, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.
Tristan is a radiation safety officer at the McGill University Hospital
Center in Montréal. I suspect the cow was eaten. |
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Alejandro Gonzalez. 2000. M.Sc. Gestion des populations de chèvres de montagne: recensements et dynamique des populations. (Population dynamics, census techniques and management of mountain goats). Alex completed a a Ph.D. in Mexico and is now a postdoc in Spain. |  |
Nathalie Pelletier. 2000. M.Sc. Stratégies reproductrices des femelles du spérmophile de Columbie (Spermophilus columbianus). (Reproductive strategies of female Columbian Ground squirrels). |
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(Social dominance and life-history traits in mountain goat females) Steeve is now a Full Professor at Université Laval in Québec City and heads the mountain goat research program, in addition to major research programs on cervids. Check out his web page. |
Chantal Gaboury. 1999. M.Sc. Facteurs
motivant le changement de tétine chez le veau (Bos taurus).
(Factors motivating milk calves to switch teats) Cosupervised
with Anne-Marie de Passillé, Agriculture et Agro-alimentaire
Canada.
Stéphane Demers. 1999. M.Sc.
L'asymétrie
fluctuancte au niveau des anneaux de croissance des cornes des
mouflons d'Amérique (Ovis canadensis). (Fluctuating
asymmetry in yearly growth annuli in bighorn sheep horns).
Stéphane is a wildlife biologist in Québec.
Bruno Gallant. 1999. M.Sc. Rétardement dans l'âge de primiparité chez le mouflon d'Amérique (Ovis canadensis): corrélats et conséquences. (Correlates and consequences of delayed primiparity in bighorn sheep). Bruno is now a biologist with the Canadian Food Inspection Service in Moncton, New Brunswick.
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(Sociality and foraging behavior of bighorn sheep). Kathreen is now an Associate Professor at the University of
Calgary. She is conducting research on foraging behavior and sociality
of ungulates and fish. See her web
page. |
| Céline Bérubé. 1993.
M.Sc. L'investissement maternel selon le sexe du jeune chez le mouflon
des Rocheuses (Ovis canadensis). (Sex-specific maternal
investment in bighorn sheep
1997. Ph.D. Les stratégies d'adaptation vitale chez les brebis du mouflon d'Amérique (Ovis canadensis): la reproduction en fonction de l'âge. (Life-history strategy in bighorn ewes: age-specific reproduction) Céline is now a Research Officer with NSERC in Ottawa. |
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Nathalie L'Heureux. 1993. M.Sc. L'effet du
sexe et de la maladie ecthyma contagieuse sur le développement
social et physique des jeunes mouflons des Rocheuses (Ovis canadensis).
(Effects of sex and of contagious ecthyma on social and physical
development of young bighorn sheep)
Nathalie now teaches biology at the CEGEP (Junior College) de Longueuil |
Christine Portier. 1997. Ph.D. (Université Paris 6). Soins maternels et dynamique des populations d'ongulés: approches aux niveaux intra- et interspécifiques. Cosupervised with J.-M. Gaillard (Lyon). (Maternal care and ungulate population dynamics: intra- and interspecific approaches)
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Martine Haviernick. 1996. M.Sc. La stratégie alimentaire de la chèvre de montagne (Oreamnos americanus): étude de l'utilisation de l'habitat et du comportement anti-prédateur. (Foraging strategy of mountain goats: habitat use and antipredator behavior). |
Karine Picard. 1996. M.Sc. Étude expérimentale du transfert de chaleur à travers les cornes chez les bovidés: description et implications évolutives. Cosupervised with Don Thomas. (An experimental study of heat transfer through bovid horns: description and evolutionary implications). Karine is now a biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service in Québec City.
François Fournier. 1994. M.Sc. Les comportements agonistiques et la dominance chez la chèvre de montagne (Oreamnos americanus). (Agonistic behaviors and dominance in mountain goats). François is now a biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service in Québec City.
Postdoctoral Fellows and research associates
Mauro Lucherini (Laurea, Milano, Italy): 1992-1993 (fellowship from the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry). Life-history strategies of bighorn sheep. Mauro is now a lecturer in Baia Blanca, Argentina.
Richard Bon (Ph.D. Toulouse, France): 1993-94 (fellowship from the French Foreign Affairs Ministry). Evolution of sociality in ovids. Richard is now a lecturer in Toulouse, France.
Denis Réale (Ph.D. Rennes, France): 1997-1999 (fellowship
from the Fyssen foundation (France)). Heritability of
morphological and life-history traits in bighorn sheep. Denis now
holds a Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Ecology at the
Université du Québec a Montréal. Check out
his website.
| David Coltman (Ph.D. Dalhousie): 2000 (NSERC fellow).
Co-supervised with Dr. Curtis Strobeck, University of Alberta.
Genotype, selection and evolution of morphological and life-history
traits in bighorn sheep. Here he relaxes watching bighorn sheep at Ram
Mountain.
Dave is now a Professor at the University of Alberta, and a key collaborator on mountain ungulate research research. |
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